Germany seeks debt relief for RI

Germany seeks debt relief for RI

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Wednesday called for a debt repayment moratorium for Indonesia and Somalia, two countries hit by the quake-sparked tidal waves. Germany will propose the measure at a meeting of the Paris Club of creditor countries in January, he said. With the death toll in southeast Asian and East African coastal areas soaring on Wednesday to over 70,000, Schroeder said relief and reconstruction would require a massive international effort. "This is a disaster of truly worldwide dimensions," he said. -- AP